Rianer City
by C. Mayhew
Summary: Rianer City, a fenced off city where cops and Army rule the streets. The poor people live on the streets, and the rich barons live in the skyscrapers above.


/ From the writer: Hey! So I've been kicking this story around, would love some feedback!/

Chapter One: Introductions and Incarceration

This wasn't the first time Cas had woken up cold, wet and bruised. He woke to the sun blinding his grey eyes. He looked around to find his surroundings. He was laying in the rubble and garbage of a alley with two other people he didn't know. He stood up slowly and groaned before stretching. He picked up his old jacket and pulled it on. He scratched his chin and the back of his head. Snagging knots and matted parts of his chopped brown hair. He smoothed it as best he could and walked out of the alley and onto the sidewalk. The sun shone brightly on his face and warmed him up some. He looked around the sidewalk and street. People had their heads down and walking as fast as possible down the busy sidewalk.

Cas looked up at the gleaming, shimmering skyscrapers that ruptured up from the tarmac and concrete floor of Rianer. Huge shiny buildings of stainless steel and plate glass, housing the city's most rich conglomerates, politicians and CEOs. Rich men and women with their snot nosed little bastard children. All entitled rich pricks that live by taxes they don't pay and products they don't use. Taxing us and racking up prices on everything so much that the streets and roads of Rianer City have been soaked with crime and disarray. The back alleys and streets were black with grime and garbage. Cas had only ever know this world, this horrid place. His mother, Marie, had told him long ago that there was this huge "World War" as she called it. The war killed millions of men and woman she told me.

The years after the war took their toll. She told him that the war killed so many people the factories could not stay open. Nor could most businesses. "The war killed more than just soldiers." She told him. She told him the dollar crashed about 14 years after the war. People were evicted from their homes and thrown to the streets. People who still had jobs tried desperately to keep them. Then all the giant corporations and politicians joined up and made their little own society essentially. They retreated to the skyscrapers to live out their life, ignorant to the people below. Put prisoners to work to manufacture all their stuff. They instilled a pro-conglomerate government and had the police and Army in their pocket. They put the streets under Martial Law, made the police work in joint with the Army. They decided to have a Joint Police and Army. JPA for short.

Police patrolled around the place. Resting a hand on their holstered pistols. Armoured cars and police cruisers coasted down the road, forcing people to use sidewalks unless they wanted to be run down. On every corner a pair of soldiers or group of police armed with heavy rifles was posted. Huge chain link fences in strangely well kept condition with razor wire on top encircled the city. Only way in or out was from one of four roads and you would have to go through the multiple high security JPA checkpoints.

Already a green uniform clad soldier and two cops were staring down Cas. Not five minutes after waking up. The soldier, armed with a heavy automatic rifle stood bolt upright and firm. For being so young his face was already hard and tough, like all the rest. Behind him, leaning against a wall were two cops. Both in their clean, blue uniforms. One, a tall, hard faced, male cop with short black hair. The other, a young, and clean female cop. Her long blonde hair tied back in a ponytail. She was pale with, amazingly, a soft friendly face. With her blonde hair, pale complexion and nice blue uniform, she was pretty. Cute even. He thought she was oddly friendly compared to all the other cops he had ever seen. It looked like it was her first day on the ground level of the city. You could see it in her partly scared and confused expression. Cas found himself sad, knowing the city and her occupation would break her soul and mind. Leave her mean and cold.

The male cop was pointing things out to her and talking to her it seemed. His head turned and his eyes landed on Cas. The cop's eyes burned into Cas's soul and very being. The cop pointed at him and said something to the girl as she looked at him. Cas put his head down and walked into the mob of people and blended in. He absorbed himself into the moving sea of bleak, faded and melancholy faced people. Becoming one with the group. He kept his head down as he walked. He just wanted to escape that area and those cops. Cas kept walking for a couple minutes before ducking into an alley. He leaned on an inside wall and sighed. He stood there looking into the dark. His mind wandering, thoughts drifting.

"Hey, Tramp!" Yelled a gruff voice from behind him. Cas snapped out of it and quickly turned his head to meet the voice. There stood the two cops from before.

"W-What?" He asked the male cop who yelled at him.

"What are you doing over here? Come on you stupid tramp! Spill it out, what are you up to?!" Yelled the male cop. He grabbed Cas by the collar. His badge and name pin shining in the little sun there was. The name pin had "Tanner" engraved on it. Cas jumped and tried to get out but the cop's grip was iron tight. The cop slammed him into the wall with a hard thud. His wind was knocked out of him and his skull bashed itself against the brickwork.

"I'm innocent! I did nothing!" Yelled Cas as the cop punched him in the gut. Cas let out a whimper and a gasp for air.

"See rookie? These tramps always lie, that's why you gotta beat the information outta them." Said Tanner, a huge grin going from ear to ear.

The female cop on the other hand looked completely mortified. The male cop took out his black baton. The slick on it glistened in the sun, Cas's eyes widen. The first few blows came down on Cas's head. Cas tried to cover his head with his arms but Tanner kicked them away. It carried on for close to a minute then it stopped, suddenly the blows and insults halted. Cas looked up to see the female cop grabbed Tanner's arm, causing him to stop. Now Cas could see the gold name pin on the female cop's shirt. Engraved on it was the name "Novak".

Tanner had murder in his eyes, fiery even for the old man. Novak looked terrified, and Cas felt for her, so far she did nothing but stand there scared. Now she had grabbed the arm of a higher senior officer to save Cas from a beating.

"S-sorry, Sir." Novak stutters, she let go of Tanner's arm quickly.

 _This is bad, really bad._ Cas thought. Novak went into a shell it seemed, she put her head down and her hands behind her back.

"What did you just do? What did you just do?!" Shouted Tanner. "Did you just grab me?! To defend this Tramp! This worthless, no good piece of trash?!" Shouted Tanner even loader, pointing the devilish baton at Cas. Novak retreated deeper into her shell, Cas thought he saw a tear run down her cheek.

Now Tanner aimed his aggression away from Cas and onto Novak. Tanner turned, leaving Cas on the floor, bleeding slightly. Tanner raised his baton into the air and came down, he hit Novak in the side. Cas stood up, weakly. Tanner got two more swipes in, Novak reeled back from the blows and had to lean on the wall to steady herself. She pressed a hand on where Tanner hit her. Tanner seemed like he was going in for more.

"Hey! Leave her alone, asshole!" Shouted Cas, as he stumbled over to grab Tanner's wrist and throw his baton away. It worked, till Tanner threw his left fist into Cas's gut. Cas doubled over and hit the floor. Gasping and wheezing as he curled up into a ball, holding his gut. Tanner repeatedly kicked Cas till he was resorted to a clump on the floor. Then he picked Cas up from the ground with that iron grasp and threw Cas's half unconscious body at Novak, and ordered her to cuff him and throw him into their cop car.

Novak was more gentle, she turned Cas around and cuffed his hands behind his back.

"No… Why?" Whimpered Cas, as he coughed up some blood onto the pavement.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." Novak whispered into Cas's ear before she took him away and shoved him into the back of the newly arrived police car.

Cas grunted as he sat down in the black leather back seat of the police cruiser. He wanted to reach down and hold his stomach. It felt like that cop beat his insides to mush. Cas struggled with the handcuffs but gave up after a while. He looked at his shirt to see the fresh blood he had coughed up. He waited in the back seat for a couple of minutes till Tanner and Novak entered the vehicle. Novak gave Cas a small look of sadness before sitting down in the passenger seat. Tanner looked like he wanted to kill Cas, and he almost had.

"Let me out!" Cas protested from his seat, rattling his handcuffs.

"Shut up back there! Before I shoot you myself!" Yelled Tanner, spit flying out of his mouth. Novak put her head down. Cas sank into the seat with a groan, he felt like death.

An hour later Cas was woken up by Novak when they arrived to the police station. He must have dozed off from the pain. She gently shook him awake.

"Sir? Sir? Mister, wake up… Are you okay, Sir?" She said till Cas blinked away.

He looked at her in the blazing afternoon sun, with the sunshine lighting up her features and the sun behind her head. Cas thought she looked like a angle for a moment.

"I think i've been worse." Cas said, as Novak helped him out of the car. Cas thought for a second, maybe he hadn't been worse before.

Cas looked at the police station. Well, more like joint Army and Police station. It was a large white building with olive green stripes, a blue roof and two signs above two sets of large double doors with a wall between them, they read. "Rianer City Police Station, Precinct One." The other read "Military Guard Post #2244, 294th Military Police, A Company" Both had their respective guards next to the door.

Novak walked Cas into the police precinct and he looked around. The inside of the police station was smoky and made Cas and Novak cough. Officers were smoking in the corners of the room. Beaten and bruised men and women sat around on rough hardwood benches. Handcuffed and waiting to be processed for whatever crimes they may or may not have committed. All of a sudden an alarm went off from outside and the doors burst open behind Cas.

"Outta the way! Officer down!" Yelled two paramedics as they rushed forward. They were pushing a wheeled stretcher with a police officer lying on it. Novak had to roughly pull Cas by the collar to get him out of the way. The officer went past Cas, the cop had deep blue eyes and his short brown hair was cut neatly. He wore the typical blue uniform, he had a round hole in his right upper chest and three slits in his stomach. All were bleeding pretty badly. He turned his head and looked Cas in the eyes, the image of the pain in that young officer's eyes shook Cas to his core. Novak let out a small whimper as the man passed them by.

"Friend of yours?" Cas asked.

"His name is Tom Robinson. Yes, he's a friend." She said, a hint of sadness in her soft voice. That gave Cas a pang of guilt, he probably shouldn't have asked.

"Stop fraternizing with the criminal, Novak." Called Tanner from across the common room, Cas wished he would never see him again. But Cas's luck was hardly ever good luck.

"Yessir!" Responded Novak, Cas sighed. Novak gave Cas over to Tanner, then she walked away.

 _Now I'm with a nutty, abusive cop. Joy._ Thought Cas. Tanner looked at the blood on Cas's shirt and a grin grew on his face. Tanner grabbed Cas by his collar and drug him to the mugshot room. Tanner opened the door and practically threw Cas into the room. Cas stumbled over to a cop that sat in a little booth that was surrounded by glass, sitting on the desk was a black placard with a box of white letters next to it.

"Full name." Said the male cop behind the desk.

"Cashel F. Shays." Said Cas. The cop put the letters that spelled out his name.

The cop asked him a few more questions and put his responses on the placard. The cop gave the placard to another officer. Tanner reappeared and drug Cas into the photo room, he uncuffed him and left. Sitting on a desk in the corner was the black placard. A voice came over the intercom.

"Pick up the placard on the desk and stand in front of the height wall." It said. Cas picked up the placard and walked to the height wall.

"Turn and face the camera and hold the placard facing it." He did so and the camera flashed.

"Turn to the right and hold the sign on your shoulder." Said the intercom. Cas did so and the camera flashed.

Cas waited there for a couple of minutes till Tanner showed back up, he snapped the silver handcuffs onto Cas's wrists with a joyful smile. Cas hated the man.

Tanner roughly dragged and tugged Cas down to the holding cells. They were surprisingly vacant, maybe a handful of other people in a few other cells. Cas got throw into on by himself.

Tanner started walking away without uncuffing Cas.

"Hey! Aren't you gonna uncuff me?" Protested Cas from his cell. Tanner just laughed as he closed the cell door and left the room. Cas looked at the sentry posted at the cells.

"Hey, when do I get my bread and water?" Said Cas sarcastically. The guard only scoffed at Cas.

Hours dragged on like an never ending loop. Giving Cas a lot of time to think. They would probably charge him with assaulting an officer of law, resisting arrest, and a myriad of other things. The judge would more then likely hang him, Novak would say nothing of how Cas was beaten or how she was also, Cas assumed this was the end of the line. Cas looped his arms under his legs so his handcuff were in front of him. Finally something happened.

Novak walked in, she talked to the sentry for a moment or two. Cas heard his name float by a few times. At last the old guard left and Novak took his place.

"Hey, Officer Novak." Called Cas from his cell. As he hoped, Novak walked over.

"What is it, Shays? You've landed me in a heap of trouble already today." She said, her kind voice from before turned as cold as ice.

"Well I just wanted my cuffs off." Said Cas, matter of factly. Novak took the ring of keys off her belt, and looked for a cuff key. While looking she dropped the ring and it bounced off the bars or Cas's cell and into it. Novak gasped and let out a sigh as they fell. Cas picked up the ring of keys, his eyes fell on the one Tanner had used to open and close his cell.

"Hey! Give that here! That key opens the cell!" Yelled Novak. Cas knew fully well that he had some bargaining chips now. The sentry's ring of keys! Opens every cell and door, including his!

"Hey! Hand them over!" Huffed Novak, she seemed more disappointed than angry. Made Cas think. He stared at the key for a moment, then looked at Novak. She looked very sad with herself, that in turn made Cas think. He gingerly held the keys through the thick bars.

"Okay." He simply replied, Novak looked shocked. Cas shook the keys, indicating she should take them before he changed his mind. She did, but it looked like she hated something the whole time.

"T-thank you." She said, before she found the cuff key and took the cuffs of Cas's wrists. There were a few cut marks on his wrists, on a little smear of blood.

"Oh." Said Novak when she saw them.

"What? Didn't know your cuffs did that?" Said Cas harshly before walking to the sink and cleaning the cuts.

"Why did you grab, Tanner?" Said Cas after he washed. Novak jumped and looked very surprised and a little guilty, then angry.

"What he was doing was wrong, he had no reasons to beat you like that. Wait, why do you ask? And how do you know our names?" She said, sounding guilty then surprised again.

"Well because no cop would usually ever care about a crap like me. And you know your names are engraved on a shiny gold pin." Said Cas, adding a hint of sarcasm to the last part. Novak looked annoyed with that comment.

"Why did you stop Tanner?" She asked, getted Cas off guard.

"As you put it, what he was doing was wrong. He had no reason to beat you like that. Should never have any reasons to hit a girl like that." Said Cas honestly.

"Glad you think that." Replied Novak. Cas laid down on his cot.

"So where do you think I'm headed? Hangman's gallows or the electric chair?" He asked, sarcastically, but it seemed to stir Novak.

"Don't say that, that's horrible." She said. "Huh! God, they're gonna get me for every crime in the book!" Replied Cas.

A couple moments of silence passed. Till Cas came up with a question. "What's your name, Novak?"

"Novak, you've been saying it." She replied. "I meant your first name." He said back.

"Oh, it's, uhh, it's Sarah." She said. Cas thought about it for a moment.

"Sarah? Thats pretty name, it fits." He said with a genuine voice. Sarah Novak blushed a little, but covered it up fast.

"I know your last name is Shays, what's your first name?" Asked Sarah.

"Cashel, Cashel Shays." He said. "But everyone calls me Cas." He added.

"Cashel Shays. I like it." She said. Cas smiled.

"I've grown quite accustomed to it myself." He said. Sarah let out a little laugh. It made Cas feel good.

"How old are you?" She asked.

"I'm 22, what about you?" Replied Cas.

"20." She said.

Sarah looked around a little bit, before walking off to stand guard next to the door.


End file.
